Kings of Leon defy genre, demographics with ‘Use Somebody’

When Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill sings “I could use somebody, someone like you” on his band’s 2008 recording of “Use Somebody,” his voice sounds steeped in loneliness. A year and half later, his sentiment has made a connection with millions of people from all corners of the globe, and seemingly, all walks of life.

“Use Somebody” -- which has earned the Nashville rock band four Grammy nominations this year, including record and song of the year -- is more than just a triumph for the band and for Nashville’s non-country musical output. It’s one of a handful of songs in the last decade that have defied genres, formats and demographics, topping numerous charts before hitting No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 40 chart last September.

In turn, the song has inspired a sea of cover versions, both by pop music’s biggest names and lesser-knowns on YouTube. Even rap superstar Jay-Z is a fan, declaring the rock star’s lament his “number one favorite” song of the year in an interview with The Village Voice earlier this month.

“You want every song to be successful but really don’t expect it,” he said. “At the time, we had no idea the journey that song would take us on.”Jacquire King, who co-produced the song and accompanying album Only By the Night with the band and Angelo Petraglia, was similarly surprised, though he says he “knew it was a great song” from the beginning.

“I was a little taken aback that the song could carry the weight that it has in the world,” the producer says. “I think there was a lot of enthusiasm about it (in the studio), and in a way, I’m relieved that we recorded it early on. It was just sort of out of the way. There was that feeling about it.”

There was a good buzz in the studio, but only those with unhealthy levels of optimism could have predicted the scale and scope of the song’s success.

Spanning multiple markets

“Use Somebody” is the 23rd song in history to stay on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for a year or longer. That’s largely due to the song continuing to enter and find success in new markets.

Before it went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 40 chart, it had already topped the Alternative Songs, Adult Album Alternative and Adult Top 40 charts -- a feat last accomplished by Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” in 2005.

“The Kings of Leon song was really an exception to the rule in recent chart fare,” says Silvio Pietroluongo, director of charts for Billboard/Radio & Records. “By the time that Kings of Leon crossed over, there really wasn’t much else that was rock-based making the Top 5 of the Top 40 chart. Even acts like Daughtry were not getting to that level.”

Before “Use Somebody,” you weren’t going to hear much Kings of Leon on a Nashville station like 107.5 The River, for example.

“I think the lyrics spoke to females a little bit,” says River program director Rich Davis, “and I think it happened at the right time, and typically the right time is when there’s not a lot of other big rock songs trying to make their way onto the pop chart. Over the last few years, you can think of just a handful of groups that have been able to do that.”

Performers use 'Use Somebody,' too

The song not only caught the ear of listeners, but performers as well. In the past year, “Use Somebody” has been covered by some of the biggest names in music: Nickelback, Kelly Clarkson, Paramore and Nick Jonas, to name a few.

Major-label singer/songwriter and actor Tyler Hilton put a video of his piano-driven version on YouTube just a few weeks after Night’s release.

“When I did it, in my own mind, I thought, ‘Wow, it’s kind of a totally different song when I sing it than when they sing it,’” he says. “And that’s a good song when you can sing it two different ways like that.”

On YouTube, versions by established music stars are outnumbered by countless renditions from unsigned and independent musicians in their bedrooms. Kina Grannis of Los Angeles uploaded a video of her own version after receiving numerous requests from her online fans.

“The more I sang it, I found that it was very easy to make my own,” she says. “I don’t know, there’s something real about the song, and so it’s easy for me to relate to it and to feel like I meant what I was singing.”

Canadian singer/songwriter Lynzie Kent has gotten over 1.8 million views on YouTube for her acoustic-based, soul-inflected version. Kent says she was drawn to the song by its message and Followill’s delivery.

“You really feel that everything that comes out of his mouth is a genuine emotion. That song is saying ‘I really need someone right now with me, because I’m going through something.’ At least that’s how I interpret it.”

One year after the single’s release, Followill has been sharing some of his other genuine emotions regarding the song. “If I hear one more person cover that song, I’m gonna rip my (expletive) throat out,” he recently told Spin.

King has a lighter take on the situation.

“I think they’ve become a little tired of how many people have covered it, but it is a testament to how good the song is as a written melody and lyric.”

“Any exposure is good,” says John Allen, vice president of Bug Music, which publishes the band’s songs. “All of a sudden, you’ve got this huge Nickelback audience saying, ‘Who’s this?’”

It’s been hard for rock bands with crossover success to completely hold onto rock fans once they’ve become pop stars, and there are already indicators that the Kings are suffering a similar fate. Troy Hanson, operations manager and program director of Nashville rock station 102.9 The Buzz, told The Tennessean in October that the station had reduced its spins of the band in the wake of their crossover success.

“The Kings of Leon have gotten a lot of flack about becoming pop stars,” King says. “The word ‘pop,’ what it really means is ‘popular.’ Pop music sort of has a bad connotation. What used to be really great about rock 'n' roll and music on the radio was that it wasn’t really force-fed. Something became popular because it was good and a lot of people liked it. That’s kind of what’s happened with these guys.”

Reach Dave Paulson at dnpaulson@tennessean.com or by calling 615-664-2278.